June 18, 2007

Rhubarb Soda

Directions:4 stalks rhubarb, chopped1 cup sugar1 cup water

club soda

Directions:In a small pan, bring the rhubarb, sugar and water to a boil. Lower heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixtures has reduced into a light syrup, about 10 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer and press the rhubarb bits* (they will be pretty mushy) with the back of a spoon to release all of the juices into a bowl. Add about a tablespoon (or more to taste) of the syrup to the bottom of each cup and top with club soda. Serve immediately.

Yield: about 3/4 cup of syrup

*I sort of like to eat the leftover mashed rhubarb rather than throw it away, but you can certainly just toss it.

My thoughts:

As someone who doesn't like water and doesn't like to drink juice with meals, club soda is my fallback beverage. While the bubbles momentarily fool me into thinking that it is more than just water, it is still pretty plain and boring to drink day after day, especially in the summer when my beverage consumption triples. Enter the homemade soda. My new favorite flavor to make is rhubarb. Just barely sweet, and with a clear rhubarb taste it is the perfect beverage when you don't want plain water but when regular soda or juice is just too much.

This is something we do at my restaurant actually - though on a much larger scale, and the end result is not soda, but rather vinaigrette. We use the syrup that comes out of the rhubarb and mix it with sherry vinegar, a little more sugar, light olive oil and some s&p to taste - comes out great, but the base rhubabrb syrup is the same!

I made the syrup this weekend and it makes a delicious soda. As others have mentioned, we are looking forward to combining it with vodka to make a cocktail that my husband has dubbed the Rhubarb-a-Reebop.

I found your recipe for the syrup and it was DELICIOUS! As for the leftover goo, I am ADDICTED! I gotta have more of this stuff. Any suggestions on anything else to do with the goo other than eat it straight?